1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to medical treatment accessory, and more particularly to a cushion to support patient with bed sores for preventing the bed sore(s) of a patient from receiving any pressure and contacting with any object, including the bed or chair surface.
2. Description of Related Arts
People or hospital patients who are bedridden for extended periods of time become afflicted with various skin maladies, such as wounds, sores, ulcers, and various surface conditions, as a result of poor blood and air circulation. The most common form of affliction is known as a decubitus ulcer or bed sore. The part of the body making contact with a bed or support device is under pressure by the weight of the body urging against the bed or supporting device, thus resulting in muscle and associated tissue becoming compressed and stiffened. This situation is most acute when the bone of a patient presses on the tissue, such as the spine, coccyx or tailbone, hips, heels, and elbow. The weight of the patient's body presses upon the bone, which presses upon adjacent tissue and skin. As a result, blood circulation decreases and the tissue begin to decay. The patient may also experience muscle pain and cramps as normal levels of oxygen and nutrition that would otherwise be delivered to muscles are decreased because reduced blood circulation. The outer layer of the skin or epidermis becomes weakened and loses its resiliency and ability to sustain injury and heal.
Furthermore, the part of the body making direct contact with the bed or support surface is prevented from receiving an adequate supply of air or air circulation necessary to promote healing of any wounds, ulcers, or sores caused by an extended stay in bed.
Ulcers or bed sore are generally characterized in severity over five stages: Stage 1, characterized by surface discoloration (pinkish or reddening) of the kin; Stage 2, broken or unbroken blistering; Stage 3, extension of wound through all layers of the skin; Stage 4, extension of wound through the skin, underlying muscle, tendon, and bone; and Stage 5, generally referring to an extremely deep wound affecting underlying organs and bone.
The part of the body that is most prone to bed sore is the sacral vertebrae region, that is the five pieces of bones above the coccygeal vertebrae and the lowest four pieces of bones of the spine. The reason is that the spine forms a natural curve, which curves out the most in the sacral vertebrae region. Hence, when a body is lying on a bed, in order to obtain support for the entire spine from the bed surface or the mattress, the sacral vertebrae region is pressed against the bed surface the hardest, pushing the bed surface downwards and at the same time creating a large pressure on the sacra vertebrae region.
Eventually, for a bedridden patient, day after day, the pressure decreases blood circulation and tissue being to decay. In some extreme cases, the skin and tissue of the sacreal vertebrae region is so decayed that the bones underneath are exposed. As can be imagined, the patient would be under a huge amount of constant pain.
The most common method of prevention involves having the patient change position over a regular interval, generally every two hours, so as to relieve and distribute pressure and weight over the body. In some cases, the patient can change position unaided, but in many situations nursing care must be provided to help a patent change position at the prescribed interval. The changing of position typically involves rolling the patient, although other methods and procedures may be used depending upon the condition of the patient.
However, not all patients can change position at regular intervals to relieve pressure so as to prevent the formation of an ulcer or to prevent the worsening of an existing ulcer. In such situations, a cushion or other device may be positioned under or adjacent to the wound between the patient and the bed to relieve pressure or redistribute pressure away from the wound. Ideally, the body should be supported above the bed or support surface at a height sufficient to allow to pass through and circulate over all parts of the body otherwise making direct contact with the bed or support surface in order to permit wounds, ulcers, and sores to dry out and heal without affecting or compromising the comfort of the patient.
Cushions and similar devices of various shapes are available for this function. A common type of cushion, for instance, is a circular cushion with a central aperture, frequently referred to as a “doughnut” cushion. This type of cushion is less than effective in relieving or redistributing body pressure over or adjacent to a wound as the cushion transfers the body weight or pressure to the circular portion of the cushion making contact with the body. Furthermore, the circular portion making contact with the body forms an airtight seal, which prevents air from circulating over and around the wound as needed to promote healing of the wound.
The subject of the instant invention introduces an patient cushion for wound support that can be placed under a bedridden patient in order to promote blood circulation necessary for reducing muscle pain, stiffness, and cramps and to provide air circulation over exterior wounds, sores, and ulcers resulting from an extended stay in a bed, such that said air circulation will aid in healing of said wounds, sores and ulcers.
Numerous designs for various medical support cushions have been provided in the prior art. Even though these designs may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present version of the invention. These patents are exemplified by the following:                U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,824, Cushion for Decubitus Ulcers, issued to Pertchik on 17 Mar. 1981;        U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,224, Flexible Support, issued to Stracke on 14 Jun. 1988;        U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,679, Inflatable Cushion with Central Opening, issued to DeLooperon 18 Oct. 1988;        U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,368, Support Device, issued to Anslin on 1 May 2001;        U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,924, Support Pad, issued to Sorbo et al. on 5 Nov. 2002; and        U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,085, Support for Expansible Cells, issued to Roux on 22 Apr. 2003.        
As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved patient cushion with central aperture, having one side thereof covered with a series of protuberances that impinge upon skin and muscle tissue during use of the cushion in order to promote blood circulation in and around muscle tissue, thus reducing muscle pain and stiffness; and to provide air circulation between said protuberances so that wounds, sores, and ulcers can heal during use of said cushion. In these respects, the present version of the invention substantially departs from the conventional. Concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provide an apparatus that substantially fulfills this need. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed herein.